Apparatus for actuating a rolling projectile.



G. LEMONS.

APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING A ROLLING PROJEGTILE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27.1916.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

GEORGE G. LED/IONS, OF PONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING A ROLLING PROJECTILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1%1'7.

Application filed July 27, 1916. Serial No. 111,749.

trench warfare and fighting at close quar-' ters, the chief object being to dispense with the use of the usual gun and explosive propellants for discharging the projectile and to provide a projectile which is more effective than those at present in use for fighting at close quarters.

According to this invention the projectile is in the form of a wheel or disk-like body which preferably contains a charge of explosive and which is adapted to be rotated at a high velocity and then liberated so as to travel by its momentum along the groundv toward the point of attack. The aforesaid explosive charge is timed or caused to explode when the projectile has traveled a predetermined distance and reached the point of attack.

The wheel or disk which may be fitted with a time fuse may be made of large dimensions and of considerable mass, and

owing to the high velocity which can be imparted thereto it will serve as a destructive missile (say for destroying barbed wire en-' tanglements) apart from its explosiveaction.

An apparatus is provided by means of which the improved projectile or wheel is rotated and after the desired speed of rotation has been attained-the apparatus may be actuated to release and allow the projectile to travel along the ground toward the The apparatus. hereinafter termed thepropelling apparatus desired point or target.

may comprise a pair of coaxial spindles or pins (which may form a kind of divided shaft), on and between which spindles the wheel is centrally supported, one or both of said spindles being locked or keyed'to the wheel so that by rotating the said spindles the wheel is rotated. The said spindles are adapted to be suddenly disengaged from the wheel at the desired moment, with the result that the. rotating wheel leaves the apparatus and travels along the ground in the required direction at a high speed. The time .fuse carried by the wheel is adapted to be automatically ignited at the moment when the projectile or wheel is released from the apparatus.

- In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an elevation and plan of one construction of propelling apparatus, showing fitted therein the improved projectile which in Fig. 2 is shown in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing one arrangement of the means for igniting the time fuse.

A is the improved projectile which in the drawings is shown in the form of a disk wheel composed of two plates of pressed or stamped metal at the periphery of which is secured a heavy rim A An annular chamber A is provided at or near the periphery of the wheel to contain a high explosive substance or a shrapnel charge and at the center of the wheel a hollow hub or boss A is provided by means of which the wheel can be centrally supported in the propelling apparatus, the hollow hub or boss being, as shown in Fig. 3, also adapted to carry the time fuse for igniting the explosive charge at the required time.

The propelling apparatus, in the example shown, comprises two pairs of triangular side frames B B and C C which are connected together by cross pieces or bars D situated at the bases of the triangular side frames. The improved projectile is adapted to be supported free of the ground between the two pairs of triangular frames, and for this purpose the two spindles or pins E E (forming the aforesaid divided shaft) are mounted in suitable bearings F at the upper parts of the triangular frames, the inner ends of the spindles being adapted to fit into or engage with the hollow hub or boss A of the wheel A. The said spindles E E are capable of being longitudinally moved in their bearings F and the spindle E which can be rotated is provided with a key or feather E which engages with a keyway or recess formed in the wheel hub A so that the wheel is caused to rotate with the spindle E when the latter is rotated.

In the example shown rotation is imparted to the spindle E by a system of sprocket wheels and chains which derive their motion from a main driving shaft G extending across the two pairs of side frames B B and- C C and projecting through bearings G so as to be driven or rotated for example by means of a crank handle (not shown) at each end of the said shaft; an engine or other means may be employed for rotating the shaft. This driving shaft G is provided with a sprocket wheel H which, through the intermediary of sprocket wheels H and H on a spindle J and other sprocket wheels H H on a spindle J and chains I I I is operatively connected to a sprocket wheel E on the spindle E; the sprocket wheels H 1-1 1-1 H are supported between the side frames 13 B on the spindles J J which are mounted in bearings J J 3 supported on members B forming part of the triangular frames B B and arranged parallel to the bases thereof. The various sprocket wheels are so proportioned that a high speed of rotation can be imparted to the spindle E and the projectile A, and when the desired speed of rotation has been attained, which may be indicated by a suitable speed indicator provided on the apparatus, the two spindles E E are moved longitudinally in opposite directions away from each other, so that the projectile A is no longer supported and falls upon an inclined platform or chute K down which it travels by its momentum in a vertical plane onto the ground.

The mechanism for maintaining the spindles E E in position for,supporting the projectile A and for moving the said spindles to release the projectile, comprises in the example shown, two levers L L pivoted at L L respectively on brackets secured to the frame members B C (see Fig. 2) the upper ends of the levers being forked to engage with collars on the spindles or pins E E so that a rocking movement of the levers will result in the spindles being moved longitudinally. The lower ends of the levers L L are connected to an operating lever LI by means of links N N respectively, the operating lever M being pivoted at 11 to a suitable fixed part of the apparatus.

Tension springs O 0 connected respectively to the upper ends of levers 'L L and the frame members B G tend to pull the upper ends of the levers and consequently the spindles away from each other into the inoperative position. When it is desired to fit the projectile in the apparatus, it is placed between the spindles E E which (previously retracted) are then caused to project into or engage with the 'hub or boss A of the projectile by moving the operating lever M, thereby moving the upper ends of the levers L L against the influence of the springs O 0 in order to retain the levers L L and the spindles E E in the operative position the levers M can be locked against backward movement by a spring actuated trigger device P fixed on the frame 0. Thus the projectile is supported on the spindles E E and by rotating the hand driving shaft G rotary movement is imparted to the spindle E which by means of the key E thereon engaging with a hole or recess in'the projectile as aforesaid, causes the projectile to be rotated. lVhen the projectile has attained .the desired peripheral speed, the trigger device P is actuated by hand or automatically to unlockor release the operating lever M, whereupon the upper ends of the levers L L are free to move in opposite directions under the influence of the springs O 0 with the result that the spindles E E are withdrawn from the projectile hub A thereby allowing the latter to be liberated from the apparatus. The trigger device may be provided with a suitable operating or controlling lever or device and this may be adapted to prevent unintentional operation on the trigger mechanism.

- Owing to the high peripheral speed which may be imparted to the improved projectile and to its great peripheral mass it will be propelled from the platform K and along the ground for a considerable distance by its momentum and it will travel the desired course over the roughest ground. The gyrostatic action due to its high speed of rotation also assists in maintaining the correct course of travel and the projectile can be directed with accuracy by laterally moving the apparatus, against objects or positions which are some considerable distance away. 7 One form of the time fuse for the projectile is shown in Fig. 3 and comprises a plunger 0r firing pin R and an impelling or compression springs located within a radial hole formed in the'wheel boss or hub A", the firing pin being retained in a safety position by a readily removable pin T passing through the firing pin R. Diametrically opposite to the firing pin is located a percussion cap U from which extends fuse cord V that leads to the explosive charge in the chamber A the length of the fuse cord is chosen according to the range and can be readily varied as desired. The firing pin R in its safety position is flush with the interiorsurfaceof the projectile boss or hub A thus enabling the spindle E to enter the end of the wheel hub or boss A the spindle proj ccting sufficiently far into the hub to extend past the firing pin, so that on removing the pin T, the firing pin R is still maintained in its safety or cocked position. Immediately the spindles E E are withdrawn to release the wheel, the firing pin R is no longer supported against the spindle E and it is therefore impelled by the spring S against the percussion cap U so as to ignite the fuse cord V which burns as the projectile travels along the ground and explodes the charge at the requisite time.

The improved propelling gear although chiefly intended for trench warfare may be mounted on a motor vehicle and the spindle thereof may be driven in any appropriate manner from the engine of the vehicle. A suitable speed indicator may be mounted on the driving spindle or other part of the propelling gear so that the operator may conveniently control the speed of rotation of the projectile and liberate the latter when the desired speed of rotation has been attained.

It will be understood that any suitable form of propelling gear may be employed so long as it is adapted to impart a high initial peripheral speed to the projectile and subsequently liberate the same to travel over the ground toward the object or target.

The improved projectile may be charged with any suitable explosive or other destructive agent. The projectile may be of any shape or size so long as it is adapted to conserve suificient energy for propulsion when it is rapidly rotated and liberated in the manner described.

If desired the propelling apparatus may be capable of lateral movement to permit of the projectile being directed properly toward the object at which it is to be aimed What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An apparatus for actuating a rolling projectile comprising in combination means for normally supporting a projectile with its axis of rotation horizontal, means for rotating said projectile at a high velocity, and means for releasing said supporting means at the required time.-

2. An apparatus for actuating a rolling projectile comprising in combination a pair of spaced horizontal coaxial spindles for supporting the projectile and imparting r0- tary motion thereto, means for rotating said spindles to impart a high velocity to the projectile, and means for withdrawing said spindles from the projectile after it has attained the desired peripheral speed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE G. LEMONS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

